S E C R E T VILNIUS 000538
SIPDISSIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/NB, NEA/IR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2016
TAGS: UNKPALPRELLHIR
SUBJECT: LITHUANIA: EUROPEAN COUNCIL TO MAKE STATEMENT ON
IRAN JUNE 16
REF: A. STATE 93822 B. VILNIUS 502
Classified By: Pol/econ officer Traver Gudie for reasons 1.4 b,d)
Â¶1. (S) We delivered reftel points to Tomas Gulbinas of the
MFA's Common Foreign and Security Policy Division on June 9.
Gulbinas told us that Lithuania strongly agrees with United
States on both the need for a common public EU position on
Iran and the need to broaden discussion on Iran beyond Iran's
nuclear ambitions to include support of terrorism and human
rights abuses. Gulbinas said that Lithuania does not intend
to make an intervention on Iran at the June 12 GAERC. He
referred, however, to Lithuania's June 1 statement in support
of the U.S. offer to Iran as a clear statement of Lithuania's
support for the United States' initiative (ref B).
Â¶2. (C) Gulbinas noted that, during the General Affairs and
External Relations Council (GAERC) meeting, EU High
Representative Solana will brief the foreign ministers on his
June 6 visit to Tehran. The ministers will not, he said,
take any decision on Iran at the GAERC. The European
Council, he said, plans to issue a two-sentence conclusion at
the end of their June 16 meeting. According to Gulbinas, the
current draft of the statement applauds the efforts of
Solana, the United States, and the EU-3 for their initiative
with Iran, and expresses the expectation that Iran will
respond positively.
MULL